Draft-equalizer.



V. J. & A. TICHOTA.

DRAFT EQUALZER.

APPLIGATION HLED JAN. 26, 1914.

vPaten-'seal May 12, 1914.l

mi @Mam inventors Attorn eys UNITED srnfras rarer otros.,

vENcEL J. TIVoHo'rA AND AUGUST TIoHoTA, or Denon, NEBRASKA.y

pRAFT-EQUALIZER.

.Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12, Hilft.

Application filed January 26, 1914. Serial No. 814,499.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, VnNonL J. TIoHoTA and AUGUST TIoHoTa, citizens ofthe United States, residing at. Dodge, in the county of Dodge, State ofNebraska, have invented a new and useful Draft-Equalizer, of which thefollowing is a specification. v

The present invention appertains generally toA draft equalizers, andaims to provide a novel and improved appliance of that character, thepresent invention being par ticularly an improvement over the draftequalizers disclosed in Patent No. 1,076,331 issued October 21, 19.13,andy in application Serial No. 752,707..

It is the object of the present invention to Vprovide a draft equalizerembodying apair of levers to which various numbers of draft animals maybe hitched or attached,-in connection with unique means for operativelyconnecting' the said levers to properly and effectively distribute thedraft between the two sets of dra-ft animals, whereby the resultantdraft will be practically in the line of movementof the plow, harvester,or other structure to which the equalizer is applied, the presentcontrivance avoiding any excesside side draft.

f.' It is also the object of the present inventidn to provide a draftequalizer embodying the attachment of the draft animals, and which willalso be simple, practical and eiiicient in operation. Y

lith the foregoin general objects outlined, and with other objects inview, which willsbe apparent as the nature of the invention is betterunderstood, the present invention resides inthe combination andarrangement of parts and-in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within thescope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

The invention has been illustrated in its preferred embodiment in theaccompanying drawing, wherein I Figure 1 is a plan view` of the improveddraft equalizer, portions being broken away. Fig. 2 is a front view ofthe parts depicted in Fig. `1. Figs. 3`and 4 are sectional v'views takenon the lines 3 3 and 4:-4 of Fig. 1, respectively.

In carrying out the present invention, there is provided a clip ormember l, which is adapted to be bolted, or otherwise fastened, to thebeam or other part of a walkmg or riding plow, to the tongue or frontaXle of a harvester or other vehicle, or to any other structure to bedrawn or pulled by draft animals. AThe c'lip or member l is providedwith a pair of forwardly projecting leaves or arms 2, which are spacedapart and which are superposed. The clip or member l with its leaves orarms 2, forms the body Vor frame of the draft equalizer which isattachable to t-he struct-ure or object to be drawn or pulled.

rl`he present device embodiesa long lever 3, which is preferablyconstructed of a wooden bar or beam 4 of suitable length, and apair ofmetallic stripsv or plates 5 bolted or otherwise secured to the innerend of the`bar 4; and having their free ends projecting to form a forkstraddling the arms or leaves 2 intermediate their ends, the said forkbeing fulcrumed or pivoted to the arms 2 by means of a bolt or pivotmember 6 passed through the strips or plates 5 and theV arms 2.

A relatively short lever 7 preferably bent from a strip of metal intoU-shape, has its inner end or terminals pivoted or fulcrlimed betweenthe forward or free ends of the arms 2,y by means of a bolt or pivotmember 8 passed through the free ends of the arms 2 and the innerend ofthe/.lever 7. Thus, the short lever 7 is fulcrumed to the body or framein advance of the long lever 3, the

levers 3 and 7 being provided at their free or remoteeends withelevises, or other coupling members 9, for the attachment of whililetrees, double trees, swingle trees or the like, whereby various numbersof draft animals may be hitched to the two levers,

according to the circumstances. The clevisesv Y are varied.

The mechanism for operativelyv connecting the levers 3 and 7 embodles anangular or bell 'crank leverlO having its elbow ful-l crumed between thestrips or plates 5 .of the long'lever 3 intermediate the fulcrum of thesaid leverVv and the inner end ofthe bar 4,

by means of, a bolt; or pivotmember' 11 passed through v,thestrips orplates 5 andthe elbow o f the lioatingdever 10;; Thebar for the ,lever 3yis preferablyh of Aless thickness than the space between th''arms orleaves, and the -free portions ofln, strips or plates 5 areoif set awayfrom 'each-other, so as to straddle the' arms or leaves 2, the lever 10being fulcrumed between thoseiportions ofthe strips 5 between the offsetportions and l.the inner or butt end of the bar 4. The

lever 10 embodies la short arm 12 projecting arms or leaves 2 by meanskof independentv bolts,'rivets or pivot members 15, the inner ends of therespective links 13 being piv- .oted to the upper and lower arms orleaves 2, in spaced positions, the inner ends or heads of thepivotmembers 1 5 being preferably countersunk or rounded, so as not topresent any obstruction to the other arm of the lever 10, as willhereinafter appear. To pivot the links 13 to the respective arms 2, therear' end or anchored portions ofthe links 13 are preferably offset awayfrom each other, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4. The other arm 16 lof thelever 10, which is relatively long, is curved or angular, as seen inFig. 1, and passes between the rear end or butt portions of the leavesor arms 2, so as to swing between the rear ends of the links 13 and thepivot members 15. Thus, vthe arm 16 of the lever V10 lwhich is fulcrumedto and carried by the long lever 3, projects between the arms or leaves2 to the oppositeA side of the bo'dy or frame, the short arm 12 of thelever 10 being linked or loosely anchored to the body or frame. Thefreel end of the arm 16 is connected loosely to the short lever 7, bymeans of a link 17, which is preferably bent frein a strip of metal,into U-shape, the rear end or terminals of the link 17 being pivotedover the free end of the arm 16, by means of a rivet, bolt or otherpivotmember 18. The forward end or bend of the link 17 is disposed betweenthe sections or limbs of thel lever 7, and is pivotedr therebetween, bymeans f a bolt or other pivot member 19 passed through the sections orlimbs of the lever 7 Aand the sections of the link 17, vthe sections orlimbs of the link 17 being providedwith a series of apertures 20 for thereception of the bolt 19, whereby the vlink 17 and lever 7 may beadjustably connected, to alter oir varythe normal` positions of thelevers 3 and 7 `with respect to each other The lever 10 and links 13 and17 provide a" therewith, win swing the arm 16 of the lever 10forwardlyaiid the arm 12 of the lever 10 being linked; or anchored tothe body or frame of the' present device, will cause 4the fulcrum orelbow' of the lever-2 to be drawn rearwardly, to thereby swing the longlever '3,rearWa-rdly, but at a less velocity or ratio than the lever '7.Conversely, whenv the lever 3 is drawn forwardly, the elbow or fulcrumof the lever 10 will be drawn forwardly therewith, 'and the arm 12 `ofthe lever 10 being linked or' anchored tothe frame of the device, willcause the arm 16 of the lever 10 to be swung rearwardly and to theright, as seen in Fig. 1, whereby the link 17 will be drawn rearwardlyto thereby swing .the short lever 7 rearwardly, and at a greatervelocity or ratio than the forward movement of the long lever 3. In thismanner, the draft may be effectively distributed between the two sets ofdraft animals hitched to the levers 7l and 3, the number of animals inthe set attached to the lever 7 being greater than those hitched to thelever 3. The present device therefore serves to effectively balance the'draft between the free ends of the levers 3 and 7, whereby the` willeHectively counteract the draft created by the other set ofdraftanimals. The present 'contrivance is adapted for various numbers ofdraft animals, within practical limits, as will be obvious. 1

From .the foregoing, the advantages and capabilities of the presentinvention will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and need not befurther commented upon, it being noted that the objects aimed at havebeen carried out satisfactorily.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is i 1. In adraft equalizer, a body, a pair of levers fulcrumed thereto a lioatinglever fulcrumed to and carried by one of the said levers, the iioat-inglever having one arm loosely anchored to the body and one arm looselyconnected to the other first mentioned lever.

In a draft equalizer, a body, a pair of levers fulcrumed thereto, afloating lever fulerumed to and carried by one of the said levers, alink connectin one arm of the floating lever and the boy, and a linkconnecting one arm of the floating lever and the 'ing to opposite ,sidesof the body, avbell crank lever having its elbow fulcrumed to the longlever, the'bell crank lever having a short arm projecting toward thefulcrum of vthe'longlever and having a "curved long arm projecting tothe other side of the body in rear of the short lever, and linksconnecting the short arm of the bell crank and the body, and the longarm of the bell cranlfy lever and the short lever.

il. In a draft equalizer', a clip attaohable to a plow or'otherstructure, and having a pair of forwardly projecting arms7 a long leverhaving a fork at one end ypivoted to the said arms, a y'shortleverhaving one end fullever having a fork at ont end pivoted to the saidarnos, a short lever having one end fulorumed to the said arms,thelongand short levers projecting toward opposite sides of the body, abell crank lever havino' its elbow ulorumed within the fork of the longlever,` the hell crank lever having a short arm prof jecting toward thefulcrum of the long lever and having a curved long arm projectinghetween the aforesaid arms in rearA of the short lever, .a 'linkconnecting the free end of the long arm of the bell crank'lever with 20the saicl short lever, and a pair of linlisconnected to the short arm ofthe bell Qrank lever, and to the respective rst menwne arms in -spacedrelation for the passage of thelong arm ofthe bell crank lever. 25 Intestimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we havehereto affixedour Signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

` VENCEL J. TICHOTA.

AUGUST TICHOTA. l/Vitnesses:

HERMAN HOLSTEN,

R. H. HOLSTEN.

